The 2024 VW ID.4 makes targeted improvements to the driver experience, rather than a full overhaul.
Look at it from the outside, and you won’t spot any of the headline changes Volkswagen’s incorporating into its updated electric crossover. For this model year, the ID.4 not only gets a substantial power bump, but the automaker addressed on of its biggest stumbling blocks: the fussy infotainment system.
Let’s cover that part first. The 2024 VW ID.4 now gets a larger 12.9-inch screen, with updated software from the ID.7 sedan. Big changes compared to the old system include customizable pages, as well as always-accessible climate control buttons and another fixed menu at the top for other major shortcuts. The updated infotainment system is also far better in terms of responsiveness, and while you still have touch-sensitive slider buttons, they are actually backlit this time so you can see them at night. Basically, it seems VW took the list of all the pain points everyone’s been griping about and implemented 1-to-1 fixes.
You still have capacitive buttons on the steering wheel for the time being, but at least it’s a minor victory…unless you go for the base 62-kWh model. The infotainment system upgrade only comes with the 82-kWh versions of the ID.4, so you’ll have to shell out some more cash unless you’re content with using the old, annoying MIB3 setup.
Hitting the “Play” pedal also offers more oomph this time around.
Apart from the infotainment change, the 2024 VW ID.4 also gets a power upgrade — and we’re not talking about a slight change, either. Battery options remain the same at either 62-kWh or 82-kWh. However, the rear-wheel drive models now put out 282 horsepower, which is a massive jump from the 201 hp the older RWD models manage.
Opt for the all-wheel drive, dual-motor ID.4, and your power figure goes from 295 to 330 horsepower. It’s not as large a jump, but it’s still a notable improvement. That said, it’s unclear how the extra grunt will impact range, since Volkswagen did not release those figures yet and we don’t have official EPA estimates.
2024 models will go on sale early next year. Volkswagen will still build the ID.4 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, so it will still be eligible for the full $7,500 EV tax credits, just like the 2023 models are. Right now, VW is the only overseas manufacturer that does get the tax credit, since it sources its battery materials and completes final assembly in North America.
While we haven’t tried out the updated model just yet, this 62-kWh review is still largely relevant since even the new ones won’t get the infotainment update (just keep in mind the power upgrade):
